Wouldn't it be cool if you could program your own buddy NPC?
As a AI researcher I would love to see the possibility to create your own AI. One that has the same basic functions and inputs as players and other NPC's such as mining and trading. They should be able to accept tasks but also hire others to do stuff. The only way to shut them off after they boot should be killing unless you have programmed in a deactivation code.
Once they accumulate enough wealth (if they actually survive, and succeed in doing so) they could send it to someone else.
Or they could buy another possibly larger ship and give it the same AI if they feel the need to do so.
One could program them to eventually hunt in packs to increase survivability of the code. Or to build remote bases and be safe in numbers. Maybe you let them dominate a specific market or let them follow you on command .
These are just a few of the many possibilities you can implement with it. Image how cool it is If the majority of NPS's in this game are player written, some of which cooperate for their own survival while others work with swarm mentality. You can even program them to form some kind of symbiosis once they identify another AI that is beneficial to their survival.
There should not be a problem with overpopulation, because just like in nature every place can only sustain a limited amount. When population increases predators start to thrive and eventually it will balance out. Instead these AI (the smarter ones) will colonize unpopulated areas and build infrastructure there.
Think of an encounter with an AI in some no-man's-land, receiving the offer to be escorted for 2 hours in return for a certain amount of cash. Once you denied that offer the same NPC demands a slightly lower ransom based on your ship size, or else he will open fire.
Think of another encounter, where some group of NPC's that have been operating and protecting some trade hub passively not far away for quite a while now. Suddenly they come in numbers with the simple objective to "take another sector", not saying a single word and not caring whether you are a player or not.
Once over, when you come back (maybe trying to salvage your ship) you notice they are still there but no longer aggressive. You also notice a brand new space station and discounts on their services.
Post
Fri Apr 11, 2014 9:46 pm
#1
Personalized AI
Last edited by ChickenStealer on Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.